Carrot Cake Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Cake
2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon clove
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup grated carrots
2 tablespoons crushed pineapple, drained
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup raisins

Cheesecake
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pineapple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Walnut pieces, to garnish

Instructions

For the cake
Preheat the oven to 350F. Have a 9 inch springform pan ready.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and clove. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the egg, sugar, and oil. Starting with the flour mixture, alternate between adding the flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Beat in the vanilla then beat in the carrots, pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and raisins. Pour into the pan and set aside.
For the cheesecake
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until fluffy and smooth. Beat in the pineapple juice and vanilla.
Drop spoonfuls of filling on top of the cake layer in an even circle in the middle (the filling will sink, so it will be difficult to spread around). Bake 35-40 minutes or until the middle is firm when touched (the middle may still wiggle slightly when the pan is shaken). Let cool completely.
Once cooled to room temperature, slide a knife around the inside rim of the pan to loosen the edges. Remove the ring then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
For the frosting
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.
To assemble
Place the cold cake on a stand or plate with strips of parchment or wax paper underneath (you will be pulling these strips out later, so make sure you can easily remove them). With an offset spatula, frost a thin layer around the cake (you should still be able to see the cake through the frosting). Chill the cake for 30 minutes.
Clean the spatula and finish frosting the rest of the cake. Carefully remove the paper strips then place walnut pieces around the bottom of the cake and a few on top for garnish.